Monday, October 31, 2011

Because I am a Girl

I subscribe to Plan International’s Because I am a Girl e-newsletter and recently received a link to their 2011 global report, Because I am a Girl: So what About Boys? It states: “Men and boys, just like women and girls, are set back by gender stereotypes and inequalities, which they learn from a young age and that are influenced by a variety of factors.”

As part of the report, 1003 Canadian youth (aged 12-17) were surveyed to learn more about attitudes regarding gender equality. Here are some of the more positive findings:

91 % of Canadian youth believe equality between men and women is good for both boys and girls.

96% believe girls should have the same opportunities and rights as boys to make their own choices in life and 95% believe parents must take equally responsibility for their children.

However…

31% of the boys believe that a woman’s most important role is to take care of her home and cook for the family.

48% of the youth (both boys and girls) think men should be responsible for earning income and providing for the family.

78% of the youth disagree with the statement “boys should not cry” but 77% believe boys are likely to be made fun of if they cry.

45 % of youth agree that “to be a man you need to be tough”.

I have just started reading the full report but looks like there is still work to be done…

No comments:

Post a Comment